This online certificate program is offered in partnership with major colleges, universities, and other accredited education providers.

OBJECTIVE

As a student, you will learn the following:

1. Digital Imaging
Your work will demonstrate entry-level professional Photoshop skills and effective decisions in selecting and editing images. You will be able to improve images for professional publication by retouching and correction, and create realistic or imaginative images by compositing or collage.

2. Color
You will develop distinctive color palettes based on the principles of color harmony. Your work will exhibit a sophisticated use of color and contrast, the ability to research colors and make choices that are appropriate for each client and project.

3. Vector Art
You will develop entry-level professional skills in creating vector art illustrations in Illustrator, using shape drawing and freehand drawing/tracing tools, Pen tool, type tools, and basic effects. You will be able to create simple, stylized logos, icons, and illustrations for effective visual communication.

4. Typography
You will be able to research and select appropriate typefaces and design typography to support the branding or communication goal of a particular client or project. You will demonstrate the ability to organize text into a clear, readable information hierarchy in page layouts while using display type for impact and expression.

5. Marketing
You will be able to analyze basic marketing principles and strategies, and identify the three major eras of marketing, the primary categories of marketing activities, and the types of marketing pieces most commonly designed. You can analyze a target market, interpret mission and vision statements, and interpret a marketing plan.

6. Logo Design
You will be able to use a professional, iterative design process to develop a logo design that meets client goals. You are able to apply an understanding of branding and typography to create simple, graphically appealing logo/identity designs.

7. Ad Design
You will develop the ability to create effective advertising design for campaigns in different print media. Your work shows the ability to convey a simple, engaging visual message that helps a business client fulfill a specific advertising goal.

8. Identity Design
You will develop skill in researching and developing an effective concept for the visual identity of a company or organization. Your work will show a basic proficiency in creating and applying an identity in various design contexts, including business card, letterhead, ads, and storefront.

DETAILS

Looking to launch your career designing marketing or identity pieces for large companies or small businesses? This Marketing Design Online Training Program will give you the fundamental technical and aesthetic skills required for design in a business environment.

You'll learn in-demand software programs that a marketing designer needs to know: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. You will build a skill set in digital image preparation and vector illustration while applying foundation design concepts in color, typography, and identity design.

Hands-on projects focus on essential skills and provide you with experience in business-focused design scenarios.

When you register you receive twelve (12) months to complete this program.

OUTLINE

Photoshop Basics

Color Theory

Illustrator Basics

Fundamentals of Typography

Intro to Marketing

Fundamentals of Logo Design

Marketing Design

Branding and Identity

This program consists of eight required modules. Module descriptions are as follows:

Photoshop Basics
Get a thorough grounding in Adobe Photoshop, the premiere digital imaging program for graphic and digital designers. Hands-on projects show how to select, enhance, distort, color, scale, and manipulate images and artworks—or create them from scratch. Every designer must tame this creative powerhouse of a program.

Color Theory
Focus on developing appropriate color systems for graphic design projects. Projects explore the principles, terminology, and applications of color theory, with an emphasis on manipulating color. A working knowledge of the expression and perception of color, and color interaction, lends credibility and sophistication to a designer's work

Illustrator Basics
Build a working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, the graphic designer's vector program of choice. You’ll explore selection tools, drawing tools, layers, the pen tool, transformations and distortions, type tools, and modifying paths and shapes. Tapping into the power of vector software allows you to produce detailed and scalable art for almost any application.

Fundamentals of Typography
Explore the critical role of typography in graphic design. Course projects build an understanding of the anatomy of the letterform, the distinguishing features of different typefaces, and creative applications of type. An assured grasp of typography is essential in any visual communication project.

Intro to Marketing
Lay a foundation for a career in business marketing design by studying marketing concepts and how they impact the design process. Students learn design principles and explore design case studies from the world of marketing communications design. Focus of the class is building a basic understanding how marketing ideas translate into an effective design.

Fundamentals of Logo Design
Explore the philosophy and process behind designing a logo. Students learn the importance of corporate identity and the different stages in a typical logo design project. The course establishes a solid conceptual and practical grounding for anyone interested in pursuing a career in visual identity, from a design or a marketing perspective.

Marketing Design
Learn the rules of advertising design from both a creative and a business perspective. Case studies from print, Web, and TV media showcase advertising concepts at work: persuasion, color psychology and composition, copywriting and typography, and brand communication. You’ll create ads for newspapers, magazines, subways, and transit and outdoor applications, as well as a multi-part ad campaign.

Branding and Identity
Develop essential skills for designing logos, marketing materials, and advertising programs to establish and promote corporate identities. Case studies focus on giant corporations such as CBS, BMW, and Sony and how they established their corporate images and business strategically. Projects require you to design or redesign corporate identities for both existing companies and newly established businesses.

REQUIREMENTS

Students must have a computer (PC or Mac) and an Internet connection. For any courses with software requirements, computers must meet software manufacturers' system requirements. Required software and technology are as follows:

* Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator CC (or Adobe Creative Cloud).

Software is not provided with this program. No textbooks are required for this program.

PREREQUISITES

The certificate program is designed for adult learners interested in building skills and portfolio for a design career. Students can enroll at any time, with monthly class starts. The program is open admissions: students must be 18 or over and provide high school or college transcripts prior to starting classes.

INSTRUCTOR

Students will receive critique and feedback from a faculty of art and design professionals. Instructors for this program include:

Jeremy Bratt is a graphic designer, design coordinator and teacher with thirty years experience. He has worked recently as a design coordinator on very diverse corporate identity, branding and packaging projects. He managed the re-branding and new packaging for the globally known French cookware manufacturer Tefal when at Lewis Moberly in London. Whilst at Landor Associates in London he design coordinated the creation and development of a 500 page website for BP called ‘The Brand Centre’. Prior to that project he managed the design and content of a huge interactive corporate identity implementation manual. He is keenly interested in good effective typography and is fascinated by the challenge of designing clear instructional information for culturally diverse users. When working for Siegal & Gale in London he designed and coordinated a number of corporate identity projects for the Spanish market. He is at present a partner of a design and communication consultancy in the UK, designing and coordinating all corporate, print and packaging work.

Bruce Bicknell is a writer, instructor, illustrator, animator, Web designer, video editor, marketing pro, and graphic designer based in Tampa, Florida. In his career he has worked on projects for Adobe Systems, ATI, Photoshop Elements Techniques, MacTribe, Yellow Machine, and Mac Design, to name a few. Bruce has Associate degrees in Computer Animation and Web Development from The International Academy of Design and Technology.

Michael Hamm is a freelance designer and Web developer with over a decade of experience in the creative field. Based in Washington state, Michael provides design solutions for clients across the country through his company ClayEdward Design. Prior to working on his own, Michael worked for JPMorgan Chase in Houston, Texas as an interactive designer. His work has been published in various Web design books and magazines and he is a regular contributor to Layers Magazine. In addition, he has served as technical editor on several design books published by Friends of Ed. Michael recently co-authored Introduction to Web Design Using Dreamweaver published by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. Michael is an Adobe Certified Instructor in Adobe Illustrator and has a Diploma in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Houston. Michael is the founder, designer, programmer, and writer of PointsandPaths.com, a Web site that grew from his passion for illustration software and all things vector.

Boris Margolin is a graphic designer with 10 years of experience. Boris has worked as an in-house designer for several major international corporations including CIGNA, MetLife, and Nypro. While living in New Zealand Boris worked at a brand development studio and at Victoria University. His design work has ranged from advertising design, to identity design, brand development, Web design and administration to Flash application development. In his spare time Boris runs his own niche design company catering to unconventional companies and emerging markets. Boris earned a BS in Graphic Design at Mount Ida College in Massachusetts.

FAQS

1. Can I register for programs if I am an international student?

Yes, because ed2go programs are online you never have to actually travel to the school. Most schools offer telephone or online registration.

2. How long does it take to complete a program?

Upon registering, you're given twelve (12) months to complete this program.

3. Do I have to buy additional materials?

In order to participate in the program, you must have Adobe Photoshop CS5 or CS6 and Adobe Illustrator CS5 or CS6 installed on your computer.

4. Can I get financial assistance?

ed2go courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses.

5. What happens when I complete the program?

Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.

6. Am I guaranteed a job?

ed2go programs will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. We don't provide direct job placement services, but our facilitators and career counselors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job. Facilitators will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the program. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

7. Who will be my instructor?

Each student is paired up with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (via e-mail) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.

8. What do I have to have in order to take an online program, and what are the system requirements?

In order to take our online programs, you must have access to a computer and the Internet (a normal dial-up connection is fine). You can access the program contents from any web-enabled computer. There are no necessary plug-ins. You do not have to use the same computer to log-in to the program every time. We recommend that you have a word processing program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.

9. What software or hardware do I need in order to take online programs and what are the system requirements?

In order to take our online programs, you must have access to a computer and the Internet. You can access the program contents from any Web-enabled computer. You don't have to use the same computer to log-in to the program every time. We recommend that you have a word-processing program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.

10. Can I use a Mac?

Yes, you can use a Mac for this program.

11. How can I get more information about the program?

If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please feel free to contact us via LIVE chat (click the button toward the top of the page). If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please feel free to send us a question using the "Contact Us" form to the right. You may also call us at 1-855-520-68061-855-520-6806 FREE. We will answer your questions promptly.

12. When can I start the program?

Our programs are all open enrollment. You can register and start the program as soon as you are ready.

Please note: Once the program curriculum is accessed online or through submission of a material shipment confirmation, refunds cannot be issued.

13. How many hours per week should I spend studying?

As a general rule, we suggest allocating an average of ten hours per week. However, this will vary from individual to individual. If you’re just getting started and have little to no experience, certainly try to put in as much time as you can and try to maintain a consistent schedule. Ultimately each student will find a pace that is comfortable for them.

14. Do I have to buy additional materials?

This program may require additional software. Please refer to the PC Requirements/Materials Included page for details.

15. What if I don't have enough time to complete my program within the time frame provided?

The
time allotted to complete your program has been calculated based on the
number of hours for each program, so don't worry too much about not
completing in time. If, after a concerted effort, you are still unable
to complete, your Student Advisor will help you work out a suitable
completion date. Please note that a fee will be charged for an
extension.